Give up driving, take public transit and save money, a new report says

Commuting can put a dent in the wallet, but a new study finds that drivers who mix it up with carpooling, public transit and telecommuting can save a lot of money and cut down on air pollution as well.

The National Resource Defense Council (NRDC) report's findings come as the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and Association of Bay Area Government are poised to adopt a sweeping land-use plan aimed partly at reducing commutes throughout the region.

MTC and ABAG officials will consider adopting the final Plan Bay Area report tonight in Oakland. The land-use document's main objectives are to comply with state laws mandating reductions in air pollution.

"Our goal is to reduce the combination of housing and transportation costs by 10 percent by cutting down on commutes and having more housing choices available," MTC spokesman John Goodwin said of the Plan Bay Area document.

Goodwin said he agrees with the NRDC report. He cited a 2010 agency report indicating that Bay Area residents who fall into low- and lower middle-income categories spend 72 percent of their income on housing and transportation.

Those who earn more money spend less than half their income, or 41 percent, on those items, he added.

Another Bay Area look at the issue shows people who live in neighborhoods near public transit also spend far less on transportation, said Shannon Tracey, communications director for TransForm, an Oakland-based policy group.

"If you live in a neighborhood with the least amount of access to public transportation you are spending $5,400 more per year than someone in a household with the best transportation access," Tracey said.

The NRDC report "Driving Commuter Choice in America" strongly recommends more investment in public transit over additional roads. It concludes the average commuter who drives to work could save more than $1,800 annually by adopting other options.

Carpooling and combining trips could produce the most savings (up to 50 percent) while increasing use of public transit could reduce driving costs by 14 to 26 percent, according to the report.

Further, moving to smaller, compact neighborhoods near public transit and jobs could produce additional savings, the report indicated.

Report author Rob Perks, transportation campaign director for NRDC, said he undertook the study to show both the challenges and opportunities for commuters.

Perks added he was particularly surprised by how much money commuters could save through carpooling.

To give commuters more options, Perks urged government at all levels to adopt new thinking and approaches to transit investment. He said most agencies are stuck in a "a 1950s mentality of more roads, roads, roads" when other transportation options are badly needed.

Meanwhile, Goodwin said cost is not the only factor in commuters' decisions on whether they should drive or take public transportation to work.

"It's going to be driven by such things as the cost of gas, the cost of parking, the cost of tolls and where and tear on the car and all those things," he said.